Welcome to Bimmerfest -- The #1 Online Community for BMW related information! Please enjoy the discussion forums below and share your experiences with the 200,000 current, new and past BMW owners. The forums are broken out by car model and into other special interest sections such as BMW European Delivery and a special forum to voice your questions to the many BMW dealers on the site to assist our members!

I actually prefer the smaller body in general, but I need to see if the space needs I turned to the GT for will still be fullfilled. In general though, I wish the 3GT would get a bit of a motor upgrade given the likely weight addition . I really love the new 550 motor in the F07 body for practicality and GO GO juice.

My criticism to GT is feeling floaty ride in the back. The ride a bit wobble in general. I suspect it is the hybrid chassis 5er/7er causing it. I think 3 GT is on pure 3er chassis. Until, I drive it, I remain skeptical. Also, would they offer diesel?

5 GT makes sense. The 3 GT probably will not sell well simply because the 3-series wagon is a much more practical option if you need the extra cargo capacity. Look how poorly the Infiniti EX35 sold. If you want something in the 5/7-series league your only option is the 5 GT.

I needed something than my E46 for my young kids. I never warmed to the E90 styling although I loved the E92 but a coupe was out of the question. I loved the look of the F10 but not the sticker. That's when I saw the F07 on the lot that I took home. The F34 would have fit the bill perfectly a year and a half ago. A nice transition out of the E46. As much as I like my F07, it's still a lot more chassis than I really need. I'm wondering what the sticker on a 335 F34 will be.

I like the design and given its surprisingly generous cargo space and legroom may consider it vs buying an F07. The 335i engine should probably have enough power and fuel economy will be much better due to its lower weight.

I would have loved an upgraded interior compared to the 3 series sedan/touring (as they did for the the F07 vs F10) and would have been willing to pay for it. The interior is almost 1:1 with the F30/F31, which may actually be a deal breaker for me. I suspect though that this to keep the pricing down. I doubt that many in the US will cross shop a 5 series against a 3GT. The GT will likely remain a niche market here.

From what I saw pricing for the GT in Germany is ~500 to 1500 EUR above the F30.

I've researched the 3GT probably more than a person should. I noticed that unlike the 5GT, it does not have a flat load entry to the hatch/trunk like the 5GT does. I can't tell if it's actually any higher on the 3GT than the 5GT as far as loading level goes but removing things from a 3GT trunk requires lifting the item up to get it out. Coming from an SUV and loading/unloading several times a week, that's a very strong negative [edit] for me. YMMV

I can probably say the same for me. I wouldn't have thought that a 3 series could be our next family car, but it's likely that the 3GT will replace our X5 this summer. I need to see it in person though before ordering one for ED. Will be checking out the the car's dimensions and overall appearance at the NY auto show this coming week.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ErnestHouse

I noticed that unlike the 5GT, it does not have a flat load entry to the hatch/trunk like the 5GT does. I can't tell if it's actually any higher on the 3GT than the 5GT as far as loading level goes but removing things from a 3GT trunk requires lifting the item up to get it out. Coming from an SUV and loading/unloading several times a week, that's a very strong negative. YMMV

I agree that this is solved suboptimally, which could be an issue if you often have to load/unload heavy items. For me personally I don't think it's a problem. You may have seen these pics that compare trunk entry to the new 3 series touring:

Great pics. I meant to say that the 3GT lip on the trunk was a strong negative for me not necessarily a general negative. I edited my post. I think the low load height on the touring is contributed to by the lower ride height as well as any design. Besides being allergic to station wagons, the lower ride height of the touring is a non-starter for me. I only have eyes (and a tall aging frame) for a GT and SUV type vehicle. haha

Great pics. I meant to say that the 3GT lip on the trunk was a strong negative for me not necessarily a general negative. I edited my post. I think the low load height on the touring is contributed to by the lower ride height as well as any design. Besides being allergic to station wagons, the lower ride height of the touring is a non-starter for me. I only have eyes (and a tall aging frame) for a GT and SUV type vehicle. haha

I see your point. I'm not allergic to station wagons per se, but why not drive a coupe-esque car if it has the space, and in this class BMW or competitors don't offer a real station wagon alternative anyway (the 3 series is too small in the back and the 5 is not offered here). For us it comes down to 3GT vs 5GT, and I concluded that the 3 should be big enough for now, as our kids are small.

I saw the 3GT live and came away reassured. It looks as good if not better than in the available photos/videos. The front end is very sharp, and is among the best in BMW's current line-up in my opinion. The overall design is fluent and works very well. It gives the car an elegant presence without appearing too big or too small. It doesn't really look like a 3 series to me except for the interior, which could be a little more refined/upscale for my taste.

Rear legroom and trunk size are respectable. The trunk lip isn't that high. I tried to capture this on the pictures and compared it to another larger and twice as expensive 4-door hatchback ...

I think the F34 is a validation of our F07s. It many ways the F34 is a shrunken version of the F07. I hope that deployable spoiler has a strong actuating motor because I can see it completely iced in and unusable under certain winter weather conditions in the northern climatic zone. My wife loves her 335 and finds my GT to be 'too big'. So, in future when we are both retired and needing only one car, we might trade both our Beemers for an F34 and found a good compromise in the process. We'll see.

...I saw the 3GT live and came away reassured. It looks as good if not better than in the available photos/videos. ....

One of the things I've collected on the vehicles I've looked at is the difference between the car's HEIGHT and HEADROOM as stated in the specs. It's not an absolute measure of seat height and I don't know how they measure the headroom in terms of positioning the seat but there's a good chance they make it as large as possible. The depth of the ceiling is another fudge factor. However, the calculated number does give a picture a ballpark number illustrating relative differences. It was accurate as the lowest seat height for the 5GT.

I didn't have a ruler with me on my test drive. Anyone know the seat (not thigh bolster) height of the 5 GT in it's highest position?

I got the impression from a couple online videos and the published data that the 3 GT seat height isn't as high as I would have expected and that's backed up by the spec calculation. By way of reference, below are the seat heights I've collected based on published dimensions.

Interesting. I wonder if the comments about handling mean the 5 GT handles better or if they only had the perspective of the 3 series. It's not clear if they had DHP either. I walked past several 5 series sedans and decided I don't like the smaller kidney grill which is what the 3 GT has. So I am definitely preferring the 5 GT.

I think it is a 3 Series comparison though I do not understand why comments are always made about handling when the physics of the situation dictates that handling of a larger, heavier vehicle will not
equate to a smaller, lighter car. Handling is important but it is not always the main reason for buying a vehicle. The article states ".....they may be tempted to take a look at the 3 GT in light of it's more appealing design (relative to a Touring) and be pleasantly surprised by it's practicality....." Well, I like my 535 GT for its design intent of blending "7 Series" comfort with the practicality that initially drew me to it and which I have used on a number of occasions when my GT handily goes into "SUV mode". I appreciate the Sport and SPORT+ modes but I never expected SPORT+ to give me the same ride as a Z4.

Design is always a compromise and I wish the 'critics' would understand that better technically-speaking (but that may be too much to hope for). That said, I am glad to see another GT in the BMW lineup simply because it validates the GT concept that those of us who have a 5 GT like so much. I was always a bit concerned that the negative reaction of 'uninformed opinionaters" combined with insuffcient sales would mark the end of the F07 model but having a 'baby brother' in the stable provides a more solid 'GT foundation'. I hope that both GTs do well.

It does look like that the grilles are slightly smaller but it is hardly noticeable to me. While there is an LCI it is still effectively the same vehicle and I am glad that BMW continues to show faith in it.

I agree with the above comments, and consider the two GTs closely related even if they may target slightly different niches. The 5 GT is probably a more unique car, not surprisingly, as it was build almost 'from scratch' in a long development process. Despite the overall critical reception, it may have paved the way for a car concept that could be highly successful in the future, but is a little bit ahead of its time.

Regarding seat height, remember that most reviews look at the M sport, which is likely significantly lower than the regular model. Also, the 3GT kidney grill is much larger than the regular 3s and gives it a completely different look. I really like the 'shark nose' look of the front end, which becomes apparent in sideviews.